Cupcake, Robot, Carrots and Skye
by NothatRose
Summary: I guess the title is the summary. Another part of 'The Growing Years' series. A sequel to Not Brother Material, Ward.


**Hey,.**... **CaskettOlicityJeca** asked me what I'm calling this series. How about "The Growing Years"? Yes? Ok. Happy reading!

**Disclaimer **: I do not own Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

**Summary** : Skye and her questions.

xox

"Where do babies come from?"

Coulson was startled awake when the question was whispered in his ear as little fingers were tapping his nose and cheeks. Opening his eyes, he was jolted to see the faces of Leo, Jemma and Skye looming over him. Coulson rubbed his face to help himself be alert. From previous experiences, he found out that being alert is the key to answering their questions logically. Knowing how smart, intelligent and brilliant each of them are, sometimes he wondered if they were just playing him. Especially when he sees them giggling among themselves after getting his response to their questions.

"What did you say?"

"Where do babies come from?" Leo repeated their earlier question.

The three children looked down expectedly at Coulson as he was still lying on the couch. Their faces were perked with curiosity. Coulson had never felt so trapped in his life. He had never imagined having to explain the facts of life to any child. He was about to answer when Skye interrupted him.

"We know the flamingo didn't bring them."

"Flamingo?" Coulson asked with his eyebrows raised.

"The stork, Skye." Leo corrected Skye.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes." Jemma told her. "And we know that is because it is not possible for a stork to carry a baby in its beak." Jemma offered her explanation to Coulson.

"Unless the stork has a bag in it's beak like the bird with the baggy beak." Leo added.

"The applicant!"

"The pelican, Skye." Leo sighed.

"Yup, pelican. And AC? Could you also explain to us why cats and dogs, fight? Why the elephant is afraid of the mouse? Why the birds and the bees get to f - "

"Hold it right there young lady," Coulson raised his finger to stop the seven year old from continuing.

"What?" Skye continued despite her uncle's signal to stop. "I was just going to say why the two get to fly together without the bird eating the bee. Or the bee poking the bird with its stinger? Did you think I was going to say the naughty word?"

"How do you know about the naughty word?"

"I once heard Sister Magritte from the orphanage told one of the boys not to use the naughty 'f' word that rhymes with duck because it is not a nice for a child or an adult to talk about how the Mama Duck and Papa Duck spend their time making an egg."

Coulson couldn't help laughing at his niece's explanation. May appeared at the door.

"What's so funny?"

"Skye was just explaining to me the meaning of a word." Coulson replied.

"What word?"

"The naughty one." Skye answered.

May gave Coulson a quizzical look but nodded when her husband mouthed, "Later."

"Ok. I see the children managed to wake you up." May smiled at Coulson as she ushered the three children out to the kitchen for dinner. "You guys didn't put ice on his forehead again, did you?"

"No we didn't." The eight year old Jemma replied sweetly.

"We just taped his nose and cheeks." Skye added helpfully.

"And asked him the question." Leo joined in as he help Skye onto the high stool.

The family preferred to eat at the bar counter separating the kitchen and the dining room. The high stools made the younger children feel as tall as the adults. Besides sitting closer together meant it was easier to push unwanted vegetables onto the plate of the person next to them.

"What question?"May asked as she passed the plates around.

"Where do babies come from." Jemma answered.

"I thought you guys already knew?" May replied and thanked Leo when he passes her a glass of water. "We have already talked about that. We borrowed that book from the library, remember?"

"Yes. But Coulson doesn't know that we do." Leo grinned as he sneaked glances at Coulson who was still stretching and twisting his body in the living room.

"Yup!" Skye nodded her head vigorously before opening her eyes wide and rolling her eyeball around. "I can see the tyres rolling in his eyes, trying to think of an answer. It was funny. Leo, do you want my carrots?"

Leo shook his head.

"Wheels turning in his head," May corrected Skye with a giggle as she gently pushed the baby carrots back into the centre of the little girl's plate. "Eat your carrots, Skye."

"I wish Ward is back. He will eat my carrots for me." Skye sighed dramatically. "I don't like carrots."

"Your hero has Chess Club today," May told her as she glanced at the clock on the wall. "He won't be back for another two hours. Sorry. You have to eat your carrots, Sweetie. They are good for you."

"Yes Skye," Jemma agreed. "My mummy used to say that they are good for my eyes."

"And rabbits love carrots." Leo added as he munched on one like a rabbit.

"But I don't want to have eyes like rabbits. They have red eyes," Skye whined and turned towards May. "I don't want to have red eyes, May!"

"Your gorgeous browns won't turn red, Skye." May reached out across the table and cupped her chubby cheek. "You know how Ward loves carrots. Are his eyes red?"

Skye shook her head before asking hopefully, "May I save them for him?"

"No, Sweetie. I've already saved his share in the oven."

"Will I be able to see in the dark if I eat my carrots?" Skye asked after pushing the carrots around her plate again.

"You finish your carrots, I'll let you play one game on my tablet." May compromised. "Ok?"

"Yummy carrots!"

xox

"Hey, what are you doing Cupcake?"

Ward ruffled Skye's hair after depositing his school bag next to her. He had just returned from Chess Club and he was surprised to see Skye kneeling on a kitchen bench while looking out the back window. She had a pair of binoculars in her hand.

"Why do you keep calling me Cupcake?"

"Because you are small and round?" Ward replied and puffed his cheeks at her.

"Is this because I call you Robot?" Skye asked after she tried to poke his side but missed.

Ward shrugged and turned to wash his hands at the sink.

"I will grow tall. Like you, you know."

"You can try. Aren't you supposed to be in your room already?" Ward asked as he poured himself a glass of juice from the refrigerator.

"I was waiting for you. I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Is it true that carrots are good for your eyes?"

"I guess so," the fifteen year old shrugged as he took his dinner out of the oven. "Why?"

"Well, May made me eat all my carrots today because you are late. She said they are good for my eyes. Jemma and Leo said so too. I asked Uncle Jasper about it. He said it's true. I asked him how far can I see. He said if I need to see really far I need this binocerous." Skye lifted the said object in her hand to show him.

"Binoculars, Skye."

"That's what I said. Anyway, I tried looking through it but I can't see anything. I thought eating carrots can make you see in the dark too. That's why I have been sitting here waiting for you. Can you help to see if this is broken?" Skye handed the binoculars to Ward.

"Now?"

"Please?" Skye pleaded while giving him her best smile.

"Alright," Ward replied as he placed his fork down and took the few steps towards Skye. He took it off her small hands and looked through the eyepiece lens. He frowned and took the binoculars off his eyes. He inspected the object and realised that Skye hadn't taken the covers off. He uncovered the objective lenses, took a quick look out of them and handed them back to Skye.

"You are supposed to take the covers off first, Cupcake." Ward told her as he sat back down to finish his dinner.

"Ok. Thanks." Skye smiled up at him as she got off the chair.

"Where are you going?" Ward asked.

"To bed. Night Ward." Skye wished him with a bigger smile as she made her way to her room.

"Night Skye."

Ten minutes later, Coulson, May and Jasper walked into the kitchen just as Ward finished washing his plate and glass.

"How's your - " Coulson stop in mid sentence when Ward turned to look at the three adults.

"Hi guys," Ward greeted them but frown when he saw the smirks on their faces. "What?"

"Were you from school straight?" May asked.

"Yes." Ward replied. "Why?"

"Did you stop by the lab or something?" Coulson asked.

"No. I had Chess Club today. Science Club was yesterday." Ward was beginning to feel uneasy. "What? What's wrong?"

"Have you looked in the mirror?" Jasper's turn to asked the teenager as he pointed to his eye.

"No." Ward dragged his answer followed by another, "Why?"

"You should go take a look." Coulson told him.

Ward turned towards the refrigerator door and saw his reflection. He saw two purple circles around his eyes.

"SKYE!"

Amid the chuckles and giggles from the adults, Ward could hear a hurried patter of feet running up the stairs followed by the seven year old's giggles before a door slammed shut.

xox

The next day in school, Skye couldn't wait for lunch because she had skipped breakfast in order to avoid Ward that morning. Sitting next to Jemma and Leo, she happily opened her lunch box since Wednesday meant that May will make her favourite grilled cheese sandwich. But she knew Ward had gotten hold of her lunch box when she saw the contents.

Her lunch box contained carrot sticks with a small cup of carrot dip, a pack of carrot chips, a piece of carrot cake and a bottle of carrot juice. Reading the a note attached to inside of the box, it read : Enjoy your lunch, Carrotcake!

During dinner that night, Ward sat down next to Skye. Without any word, he slowly took the carrots off her plate and replaced them with two fish fingers from his. They shared a smile of understanding.

Later, they shared a bowl of ice-cream as they watch Leo and Simmons played Operation before their bedtime.

xox

On Skye's eighteenth birthday, Skye and Ward shared their first kiss by the family swimming pool.

Ward had been late arriving home that night. His flight was delayed and thus had missed the family dinner in celebration of her birthday. But she had him on Skype so at least he was 'there' when she blew out the candles on her cake.

It was almost midnight when Ward arrived home and found her sitting by the edge of their family pool. Her bare legs were swirling the water in front of her as she hummed a tune that they both love. At the sound of his accompanying her humming, Skye quickly pulled her legs out of the water and began running towards him. The hem of her skirt was wet and it didn't bother him as he caught her in his arms.

"Hey, Birthday Girl." Ward whispered in her ear.

"I miss you." Skye whispered against his neck.

Ward held her tighter for a second longer before letting some space between them.

"Me too, Shortcake." Ward placed a kiss on her head. "Want your present?"

Skye eyes brighten as she squealed and nodded her head briskly. Ward placed in her hand a square box with a purple ribbon on top. Skye opened the box and her eyes teared as she saw what was inside.

Nestled on the bed of soft silk, a charm bracelet stared sparkling back at her. She slowly pick it off the silky bed as Ward took away the box and placed it on the iron wrought table by their side.

"It's us." Skye uttered and a single tear flowed down her cheek as she lovingly study each of the charm that Ward had thoughtfully added to signify the personal importance between them.

"You like it?" He asked softly. He looked worried.

Skye shook her head. "I'm sorry," Skye reached up to wiped his frown away before adding, "I only love it a little less, than I love you. Put it on for me?"

With a smile of relief and a playful glare, Ward tenderly clasped the bracelet around her wrist before placing a kiss on her pulse spot. Skye's breath hitched at his touch and almost stopped breathing when her gently captured her chin between his fingers.

"I love you too, Skye. And I have waited a long time to kiss you." His eyes was asking what she had wanted him to do since she was sixteen. "May I?"

Ward lovingly claimed her lips moments after she nodded silently. Their eyes met briefly before their lips touched for the first time. Ward gently folded her his arms around her small waist as he pulled her closer. Skye's hands were on his shoulder before one slipped into the thickness of his hair as the world around them ceased to exist.

As Ward and Skye tenderly kissed, the moonlight shone its light on the charms that encircled her wrist. Among the sparkling charms were a miniature robot, a small cupcake and a tiny carrot.

THE END

Thanks for reading.


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